Mail delivering and catching device.



A. W. MUTH.

MAIL DELIVERING AND CATCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATlON FILED MAR. 27, I915.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

WHwx-cooco LANOGRAFH co.. WASHINGTON. D c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS W. MUTH, 0F SPARKS, GEORGIA.

MAIL DELIVERING AND CATCHIN'G DEVICE.

Application filed. March 27, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS W. MUTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sparks, in the county of Berrien and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Delivering and Catching Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail catching devices for use in railway mail service and consists in the provision of a simple and efficient mechanism of this nature so arranged that mail may be received and discharged while the train is in motion.

My invention comprises various details of construction, combinations and arrange ments of parts which will. be hereinafter fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and then specifically defined in the appended claim.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the application of my invention to the door of a car. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the mail pouch held by the swinging frame. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the device closed upon the mail bag.

Reference now being had to the details ofthe drawings by letter, A designates the doorway of a car and B is a hanger fastened adjacent to the top of the car and upon which the mail pouch to be delivered is adapted to be held. Aframe, designated by letter C, of general rectangular shape, is pivotally mounted upon the edge of the car and is provided with a coiled spring D, the ends of which are wound about the outer swinging ends of the frame, and H designates a trip having eyes H at one end en- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. *7, 1915.

Serial No. 17,438.

gaging over the inner marginal edge of the frame and its outer end is bent to form a hook I which engages the spring and holds the same in proper position to receive the mail pouch, designated by letter K. An apparatus of similar construction is adapted to be mounted upon a post upon the ground or other stationary place where mail is to be received from the car and delivered to the latter while the car is in motion, the two frames being so positioned that they will not interfere with each other when delivering and receiving the pouches.

In operation, the spring is held in the manner shown upon the frame and the latter swung out from the car and, when the mail pouch comes in contact with the trip H, the spring will swing around and throw the pouch against the trip in the manner shown in the drawings, thus securely clamping and holding the same, after which the frame may be swung back and the pouch released. The pouch which is caught by the spring is held upon the projecting portions of the hanger B and, owing to the quick action of the spring, the bag will be gripped the moment it is released from the hanger and securely held.

WVhat I claim to be new is A mail delivery and catching apparatus, comprising a skeleton frame, a rod bent at its longitudinal center and having the opposite portions twisted together at right angles to the length of the rod and the ends thereof bent to form coils engaging the cross-piece at the free swinging end of the frame, a second rod engaging the pivotal end of the frame and bent upon itself at its longitudinal center forming a hook and adapted to engage said twisted part of the resilient rod to hold the same in position to catch the mail bag.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS W. MU T l-1.

Witnesses H. E. KRETLOW, E. P. RYGROFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

